Tumble Swede

Concept

The side project of Old Ballard Liquor Co. chef/distiller Lexi, Tumble Swede is a celebration of the Scandinavian culinary heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The best of the seasonal, local dishes that have been developed over generations of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian settlers are interpreted here through a Modern Nordic lens. It is an exciting experience that’s clearly Scandinavian but still distinctly Northwest.

New Nordic food is having a moment right now, thanks to the innovative and often extreme work of contemporary chefs in Scandinavia and beyond but for most of US history, Scandinavian food has been a pretty boring affair. Meatballs, lefse, lutefisk, cream of mushroom soup, meals where everything on the plate is bland and white: white potatoes, white fish, white gravy.

Tumble Swede presents a concept that explores the middle ground of contemporary Nordic food that’s neither relentlessly conceptual, nor bland and outdated. Working with indigenous seasonal ingredients, regional community recipes, and authentic Nordic flavors, our menus form a bridge between the forgotten, hyper-local Scandinavian immigrant cuisine of Puget Sound and every day modern Nordic kitchen ingredients.

As a pop-up restaurant, we will be offering a new fixed menu for each iteration of Tumble Swede. We hope you enjoy the turning of the seasons as each new menu celebrates both the ingredients and the culture of seasonal Nordic influenced cuisine.

Skål!